Ryan Riess: 2013 WSOP Main Event Champion and WPT Winner
POKER HALL OF FAME
Inducted 2014
Ryan Riess became a poker world champion when he won the 2013 World Series of Poker Main Event for $8,361,570. More than a decade later, the American tournament professional remains active on the live circuit, with a World Poker Tour title, major final-table appearances in Europe, and more than $17 million in recorded live tournament earnings.
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Who Is Ryan Riess?
Ryan Riess is an American professional poker player best known for winning the 2013 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event. He defeated a field of 6,352 entries to capture poker's world championship, his first WSOP bracelet, and an $8,361,570 first prize.
Riess is originally from East Lansing, Michigan. PokerNews has reported that he graduated from Michigan State University with a business degree, while Hendon Mob lists Las Vegas as his residence.
His tournament record extends well beyond the Main Event victory. Riess later became a World Poker Tour champion and has produced significant results in WSOP, WPT, European Poker Tour, PokerGO Tour, and other major live events.
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Ryan Riess's Early Poker Career
Riess's first major breakthrough came during the 2012 WSOP Circuit stop at Horseshoe Hammond in Indiana. Then a 22-year-old poker dealer from East Lansing, he finished runner-up to Joshua Williams in the $1,675 Main Event.
The tournament attracted 1,523 entries, and Riess earned $239,063 for second place. The result gave him a substantial tournament bankroll and established him as a player to watch on the live circuit.
Less than 13 months later, Riess turned that early breakthrough into one of poker's most recognizable titles.
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Winning the 2013 WSOP Main Event
Riess entered the 2013 WSOP Main Event final table fifth in chips and ultimately defeated Jay Farber heads-up for the championship.
The tournament drew 6,352 entries. Riess earned $8,361,570, which remains the largest live tournament cash of his career.
The victory also gave Riess his first and, as of August 2026, only WSOP bracelet. His official WSOP player profile lists one bracelet and no WSOP Circuit rings.
Winning the Main Event immediately placed Riess among poker's world champions, but his subsequent results showed that his career would not be defined solely by one tournament.
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Ryan Riess Wins a World Poker Tour Title
Riess added another major championship in April 2017 when he won the $10,000 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Finale at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida.
He defeated a 349-entry field and overcame Alan Sternberg heads-up to earn $716,088. The payout included entry into the season-ending WPT Tournament of Champions.
The victory gave Riess his first WPT title and placed his name on the WPT Champions Cup. The World Poker Tour's official event coverage documents the championship and final-table result.
As of August 2026, Riess has one WPT title.
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Major Results After the Main Event
Riess continued reaching significant final tables after his 2013 world championship.
One of his deepest runs came in the 2018 WSOP Europe Main Event at King's Resort in Rozvadov, Czechia. Riess reached the final day before finishing fourth for €337,778 in the €10,350 championship.
The WSOP noted at the time that a victory would have made Riess only the second player to win both the WSOP Main Event in Las Vegas and the WSOP Europe Main Event, joining Phil Hellmuth.
Riess made another major European Main Event final table in 2019. He finished fourth in the €5,300 European Poker Tour Monte-Carlo Main Event for €265,620. The result left him short of adding an EPT title to his WSOP and WPT championships.
His 2019 season also included a runner-up finish in a $50,000 No-Limit Hold'em event at the U.S. Poker Open for $492,000.
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Ryan Riess Career Earnings
According to Hendon Mob tournament data, Ryan Riess had $17,137,902 in recorded live tournament earnings as of August 2026.
Hendon Mob ranked him 98th on its all-time money list when the ranking was generated in August 2026. His $8,361,570 victory in the 2013 WSOP Main Event remains his largest recorded live cash.
Tournament earnings and money-list rankings change as players record new results, so those figures should be treated as a snapshot rather than permanent career totals.
Riess's earnings record is particularly notable because the Main Event prize represents less than half of his overall live earnings. Years of additional cashes across major tours have added millions of dollars to his career total.
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Tournament Versatility
Riess built his reputation primarily through live tournament poker, with his two defining championships both coming in No-Limit Hold'em.
His results also show experience across a wider range of games. During the 2026 WSOP alone, Riess recorded cashes in No-Limit Hold'em, Pot-Limit Omaha, Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo, Badugi, and No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw.
That breadth makes it more accurate to describe Riess as an established tournament professional rather than limiting his career to his Main Event success.
His record includes high rollers, championship events, traditional freezeouts, short-handed tournaments, and several mixed or non-Hold'em formats.
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Ryan Riess in 2026
Riess remained active in major live tournaments during 2026.
In January, he finished 22nd in the $3,500 WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open Championship for $28,000. He then returned for a busy World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.
Among his notable 2026 WSOP results were a 22nd-place finish in the $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship for $52,633 and a 25th-place finish in the $10,000 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw Championship for $20,412.
Riess also returned to the tournament that made him world champion. He finished 282nd in the 2026 WSOP Main Event for $50,000.
His PokerNews player results show cashes across numerous events during the 2026 series, confirming that he remains an active tournament player more than a decade after his Main Event championship.
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Why Ryan Riess Matters in Poker
Winning the WSOP Main Event alone gives Riess a permanent place in poker history. The tournament remains the game's most recognized world championship, and Riess joined its list of champions by defeating more than 6,000 entries in 2013.
What gives his career additional weight is what followed.
Riess added a WPT championship, challenged for another WSOP Main Event title in Europe, reached an EPT Main Event final table, competed successfully in high rollers, and continued recording results across multiple poker variants.
His career therefore represents more than a single breakthrough score. Riess has remained part of major live tournament poker for well over a decade, continuing to compete against changing generations of professionals while adding to a record that already includes two of poker's most recognizable championship credentials.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many WSOP bracelets does Ryan Riess have?
Ryan Riess has one WSOP bracelet as of August 2026. He won it in the 2013 WSOP Main Event.
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How much did Ryan Riess win in the 2013 WSOP Main Event?
Ryan Riess earned $8,361,570 for winning the 2013 WSOP Main Event. He defeated a field of 6,352 entries and beat Jay Farber heads-up.
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How much has Ryan Riess won in live poker tournaments?
Hendon Mob data listed Ryan Riess with $17,137,902 in live tournament earnings in August 2026. That total will change if he records additional results.
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Does Ryan Riess have a WPT title?
Yes. Riess won the 2017 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Finale for $716,088, giving him his first World Poker Tour championship.
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Has Ryan Riess won an EPT title?
No. Riess had not won a European Poker Tour title as of August 2026. He came close in the 2019 EPT Monte-Carlo Main Event, where he finished fourth for €265,620.
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Is Ryan Riess still playing poker?
Yes. Riess remained active in 2026, recording results on the World Poker Tour and numerous cashes at the World Series of Poker, including a cash in the 2026 WSOP Main Event.